— mountebankery /mown"teuh bangk'euh ree/ , n.
/mown"teuh bangk'/ , n.
1. a person who sells quack medicines, as from a platform in public places, attracting and influencing an audience by tricks, storytelling, etc.
2. any charlatan or quack.
v.i.
3. to act or operate as a mountebank.
[ 1570-80; ( montimbanco one who climbs on a bench, equiv. to mont ( are ) to climb (see MOUNT 1 ) + -im-, var. of in on + banco bench (see BANK 2 ) ]
Syn. 1. pitchman. 2. phony, pretender, fraud.